The present invention relates to cardiovascular surgical procedures, and more particularly to an improved means and associated method for applying a tourniquet in support of a cannula operatively inserted into a blood vessel.
During major surgical procedures, particularly those treating the cardiovascular system, a fluid connection with a closed blood vessel is often required and is typically effected by insertion of a sharply pointed tube, known as a cannula, into the vessel. The cannula is properly fed through an opening surgically formed in the wall of the blood vessel and about which is provided a "purse string" suture for closing the opening around the cannula so that a substantially fluid-tight seal is permitted.
To provide support to the cannula and maintain its substantially fluid tight seal within the blood vessel, the ends of the suture are often passed through a length of smooth flexible tubing, commonly referred to as a tourniquet. Firmly positioned along side of the cannula, usually by lashing, such a tubular tourniquet has heretofore required the ends of the suture, which are drawn tightly therethrough, to be releasably clamped at the far end of the tourniquet length using separate clamping devices, such as forceps, to prevent the suture from loosening during subsequent procedures. While generally providing adequate sealed support for the cannula inserted within the blood vessel, this current surgical method, using the described tourniquet with the required lashing and separate clamping, consumes a significant and undesirable amount of time, and as a result, increases the risk of serious trauma occuring during the surgery.